Published: 20250814
The Director General of the National Museum of Denmark, Rane Willerslev, and Deputy Director Tine Smedegaard Andersen, who visited the museum in Vilnius, expressed interest in the reconstruction of the Palace of the Grand Dukes Museum, the possibilities of applying the latest technologies here, but also discussed potential joint creative exhibition projects in the coming years. In developing its future projects, the Palace of the Grand Dukes Museum seeks exhibits in museums worldwide that can not only tell the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania but also reveal multifaceted cooperation and relations with European countries from the Middle Ages to the early Modern period.
After the fire, ways are being sought to restore the historic building and create a safer museum
After last year’s fire in Copenhagen, which devastated the Danish capital’s historic building – the former stock exchange built in the 17th century – museum professionals at the Palace of the Grand Dukes are interested in principles of reconstruction, financing and patronage, and successful practices. The heads of the National Museum of Denmark, accompanied to Vilnius by Peter Vither Christensen, Honorary Consul of Lithuania in Denmark, and Ms. Lina Sotničenkaitė van Kesteren, Honorary Consul of Lithuania in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, shared that after last year’s fire in Copenhagen part of the valuables were saved, but given the threats from Russia in the East, evacuation plans for valuables are being reviewed, and assistance to Lithuania has been offered.
The Danish museum professionals were particularly impressed by the virtual reality projections presenting the history of Vilnius’ Lower Castle territory, the Tower of Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and its transformation up to the present day. They also met with the creators of the virtual reality projects and discussed the possibilities of implementing similar projects in Denmark.
Among the Palace of the Grand Dukes’ guests – Danish princes and queens
The Director General of the Palace of the Grand Dukes Museum, Dr. Vydas Dolinskas, reminded the guests that representatives of the Danish royal family have visited the Palace several times in recent decades, but the beginnings of diplomatic relations date back to the 17th century. In December 1643, Prince Valdemar Christian (1622–1656), son of Christian IV, King of Denmark and Norway, was traveling to his planned wedding with Irina, daughter of Tsar Mikhail of Moscow, and stopped in Vilnius. Here he was received several times by King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Władysław Vasa and his wife Cecilia Renata of Austria.
However, the later fate of the Danish prince was tragic. Upon arriving in Moscow, Prince Valdemar Christian of Denmark refused to convert to the Orthodox faith before the wedding, for which he was imprisoned for two years. He unsuccessfully tried to escape and was released from captivity only after the death of the Tsar...
At the Palace of the Grand Dukes Museum, these historical events are recalled by a copy of Prince Valdemar Christian’s portrait, but this figure is not the only one revealing the long-standing political and cultural ties between Denmark and Lithuania or the life of the court. With the Danish museum professionals, it was agreed to continue cooperation in developing joint projects and organizing exhibitions.
In the activities of the National Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, international exhibitions are one of the most important parts of the work, as the historical heritage of Lithuania’s rulers is today preserved in many foreign museums or private collections. Each year the museum implements 5–15 exhibition projects in cooperation with partners from Poland, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Spain, France, Greece, and other countries.
Photos – Marija Frolova.
